Type-writing machine



y Sheets-Sheet 1. C. S. BOOTH'.

TYPBWRITING MACHINE.

Patented lFeb. 2l, 1897.

(No Model.)

2 Sheets-Sheet '2.,

' (Nb Model.)

l C. s. Boo-TH. TYPE WRITING MACHINE- No. 576,359. Patented Peb. 2, 1897.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHRIS S. BOOTH, OF CAMP POINT, ILLINOIS.

TYPE-WRITING MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 576,359, dated February 2, 1897'.

i Application filed March 30, 1893. Serial No. 468,394. (No model.)

To all whom it may concer/t.-

Be it known that I, CHRIS S. BOOTH, a citizen of the United States, residing at Camp Point, in the county of Adams and Stateof Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Type-IVriters, of which the following is a specification that will enable those skilled in the art to which my invention pertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to type-writers of that class in which the platen-roller is mounted on a traversing carriagewhich carries the paper to and fro across the machine over a common point Iat which all the type make their impression. Its objects are to produce a ballbearing mechanism for type-writers that will reduce the friction of the platen-carriage on its guideways, to provide means for ready access to all the parts, and for adjusting the tracks to compensate for wear and hold them in firm working contact with the balls and to permit the platen-carriage from being thrown up without disturbing the relations of the balls and tracks; and it consists in a suitable arragement of parts to carry out these objects.

The accompanying drawings show my invention in the best form now known to me, but many obvious changespwithin the skill of a good mechanic might be made in the details thereof without departing from the spirit of my invention as set forth in the claims at the end of this specification.

Figure l is an end elevation ot' the platenroller carriage equipped with my invention. Fig. 2 is a plan view thereof, and Fig. 3 a vertical longitudinal section through the trackrail on the line 3 3 of Fig. l. Fig. 4 is a view on an enlarged scale of the parts shown in Fig. l. Figs. 5, 6, 7, and 8 represent some of the many modifications which have occurred to me and which will be described hereinafter.

The platen-carriage is provided with two longitudinal tracks A B, the former of which is rigidly attached to the carriage and the latter supported by arms b at each of its ends,

which are pivoted at b to the carriage-frame and pressed by a spring b2 toward the track A. These tracks A B are suitably grooved to receive antifriction-balls C C, and between them is a double grooved track or rail D, which is pivotallymounted in bearing-brackets E, secured to, the upper surface or any other suitable portion of a type-writer frame, the balls also lying in the grooves of this rail.

The sprin gs b2 are sufficiently strong to prevent the tracks A B from spreading, and thus from cramping and binding on its bearings.

The front of the carriage may be supported in any suitable manner. In the drawings I have shown a roller F, such as is commonly used in many of the type-writers now in the market.

In operation the movement of the balls in their tracks is only half the movement of the carriage, so that 'when the carriage reaches the extremes of its movements, as shown by full lines in one position in Fig. 3 and by dotted lines in the other position, the tracks A B project beyond the ends of the rail D.

It is quite essential to the proper carrying out of my invention that the opposing balls of each set C C and C C should practically lie opposite each other in the grooves of the rail D at all times. Now it might be possible by jarring or otherwise disturbing the machine to disturb the relative positions of the balls in one or both sets, so that one ball of a set might lead or lag behind its mate. I have therefore set rectifying-pins G g G g' in theV tracks A B and other pins I-I h and H' h' in the rail 4D in such positions that the balls of each set are brought into exact opposition each time the carriage reaches the extremity of its throw in either direction. Thus it will be seen that when the carriage has moved in the direction of the arrow X, Fig. 3, to the extremity of its throw the balls C are brought opposite each other by the pins H and g and the balls C are also brought into alinement by the pins G and h. On the other hand, when the carriage has reached the extremity of its throw in the direction of the arrow Y IOO the balls C will be alincd between the pins G and h, While the balls C will be similarly acted upon by the pins g and II in the tracks and rail, respectively.

In Fig. 5 I have shown the tracks A and B so arranged that the balls oppose each other horizontally instead of vertically, as shown in Figs. l, 2, 3, and 4. In Fig. 6 they are shown as opposing each other at an angle instead of either vertically or horizontally, as in the preceding iigurcs.

Instead of the tracks A B being drawn together by springs with a yielding pressure, which I prefer as being self-compensating for any irregularity in the tracks or rails or wear that might occur in use, they might be connected by screws, which would permit of any desired adjustment of the distance between them.

Instead oi' the two outer tracks A and B forming part of the carriage they might be supported by the standards E from the frame of the machine, and the single rail D between them form part of the carriage. This, however, Would be a mere transposition of the parts that it would not require invention to carry out.

Instead of the balls being arranged in sets of two, as shown in the preceding figures, they might be arranged in opposing sets of three or four, as shown in Figs. 7 and 8.

I'Iaving thus described my invention, what I claim as new and useful, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. In a type-writer, the combination of a main frame, a grooved rail pivotally supported on or near its axial line in bearings on the frame, a platen-carriage having oppositely-grooved tracks, and opposing sets of balls lying in the grooves of the rail and 4o grooved rail, oppositely-grooved tracks on each side of the rail, opposing sets of balls in the grooves of the rail and tracks, one of the tracks being rigidly supported while the other is movable relatively to it with springs to press the movable track toward the rigid one substantially as set forth.

3. In a type-writer the combination of the main frame, an opposinglygrooved rail supported therefrom, the platen-carriage, the grooved tracks on opposite sides of the rail and the opposing sets of balls lying in the grooves, one of the tracks being rigidly connected to the platen-carriage to which the other track is connected by pivoted arms, with means for drawing the tracks together substantially as set forth.

4. In a type-writer, the combination of the main frame, the grooved rail pivotally supported on or near its axial line in bearings on the frame, the platen-carriage, the grooved track-bars, one of which is rigid with the carriage and the other-supported by arms pivoted to the carriage, with springs for drawing the tracks together and the opposing sets of balls in the grooves all arranged substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature, in the presence of two witnesses, at (lamp Point, Illinois, March 13, 1893.

CHRIS S. BOOTH.

"Witnesses:

HENRY T. REED, ALFRED H. SEATON. 

